Lilja's Library: The World of Stephen King by uber fan Hans-Ake Lilja (sorry I can't do that little circle thing over the A) is a charming work of love and admiration for the best writer of our time. I'm sure people would like to debate that, but I'm confident Hans and I would agree. The artwork in the book is done by renowned artist Glenn Chadbourne who also has designed the mascot for Lilja's Web presence, Marv the Library Policeman. As always, very detailed images nicely done. I was very blessed to be given an ARC and I am very grateful for the opportunity to give my own review of it.

A fan site started in the mid-90's according to the Introduction written by Bev Vincent, Lilja's Library has dedicated itself to the gathering of any information remotely connected to Stephen King. Through the years, he has built a spot on the net that is a go-to information center for King fans. I'm sure at one time or another, anyone who claims to be a constant reader has made their way to Lilja's Web presence.

The site has metamorphosed over the years into much more than just a fan paying tribute to his favorite author. Hans has managed to snag interviews with not only Stephen King himself, but with people who work with him and for him and beside him on all things King.
Time, money and energy spent has paid off for Lilja's Library in a big way. Making connections to items and content that the rest of his fan base only dream about, Hans isn't really one of "us" anymore. But, the innocent, child-like enthusiasm he shows for his topic makes you feel like he really wishes all of us could have the same opportunities he's been given.

I have three major complaints with the book. The first being, I love his interviews. But many of them are very dated and I wish that a 2009 update could have been included in this book on some of the topics discussed. Projects in the works; collaborations down the road etc.... I suppose I could Google each and everyone of these things, but that's inconvenient for me and I would have liked it all to have been included in the book in one concise volume. Of course, information changes, but it would have been nice to know the outcomes of some of these ideas. Did they happen? Will they happen? Or if not, what happened?

The second complaint I have would be, Hans has access to and reviews King-related items that the average fan can't afford, will never see or isn't even aware exists because you can't get your hands on it anymore. This is very frustrating. It's like showing a kid a candy store but telling them, you can't go in. The Dollar Baby reviews made me want to see these fan-made movies more than ever. But our chances of that are slim to none unless King decides to somehow incorporate them into a spot on his Web site? hint hint ;-)

The reviews in general were, as all reviews are, one guy's opinion. I agreed with some; disagreed with others and couldn't comment on many because I will never hold in my hands many of the quality items he reviewed.

Overall, I thought this was an interesting take on The World of Stephen King. Definitely one of those books for more hardcore King collectors. If you are an occasional Stephen King reader, you probably wouldn't find this book of interest. For those of you who devour any news in regards to King's work, this is a nice edition to add to your collection.

You think I forgot my third complaint, didn't you? Well no. Here it is. Lilja had one major mess up:

Where in the hell was the interview with Shelley Duvall? She owes me an explanation and restitution.

(I'm kidding. sort of.) ( )